The economic effects of the coronavirus health emergency test the viability of the global economy, but threaten to hit some countries more than others. The unpredictability, insolvency and negligent management of the PSOE and Podemos Government hinder the reaction to the pandemic in our country . The harshness of the restrictions imposed - backed by the PP despite Sánchez's inability to agree on them - and the extension of the state of alarm, a consequence of the government's ineptitude to control the epidemic, lead the Spanish economy to an unprecedented collapse. Only from a turn in economic policy, far from the radical ideological burden of Podemos and from the hand of a state party like the PP, the Prime Minister may redirect a situation that is already having a very negative impact on the entire productive fabric. Liquidity must be guaranteed, companies - including SMEs and the self-employed - must be supported, the fiscal pressure in the most deteriorated sectors must be eased and certainties for an orderly return to normality must be offered instead of delving into chaos and confusion. Therefore, the opposite must be done that the Executive has done so far.

The data released yesterday by the INE reveal the depth of a historic collapse. GDP fell 5.2% in the first quarter, the equivalent of 35 billion euros . This contraction certifies the crisis unleashed by the pandemic, despite the fact that the period analyzed comprises only two weeks of confinement. Therefore, the result for the second half of the year will foreseeably reflect more harshly the depth of the recession. In any case, the drop registered until March is the highest in the INE's historical series. Taking into account that the GDP of Italy fell 4.7% in the same period, it means that our economy has worsened for the moment by 10% more than the Italian one, despite the fact that this country previously suffered the stoppage due to the virus. Added to this is the escalation of unemployment - before the crisis it was already at 14% - and the lack of agility in the mechanisms enabled . It is unacceptable that the self-employed continue to be charged dues or that Labor has left pending recognition of a million ERTE benefits and dismissal.

The Bank of Spain announced that the fall in GDP in 2020 could reach up to 13% in the worst case scenario. The debacle will continue to worsen as long as Sánchez does not rectify and dismiss the employers and the PP . The priority must be to support companies, the engine of productive activity. There is an urgent need for a broad agreement with the main opposition party and a shift towards positions that, after the help of the ECB, facilitate recovery as soon as possible. There is no room for patches in a context of recession and falling prices. The intervention must be deep and, at the same time, with a scalpel to adjust the measures to the needs of each sector. Otherwise, the Government will lead the country to disaster and ruin.

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